Elder of Ziyon Daily News

Newest pseudo-academic anti-Israel buzzword: "Spacio-cide"
Crazy busy in Israel
Tuesday Links Part 2
What's missing from CNN-International's weather cities?
Tuesday Links Part 1
Arabs pay for far more congressional cultural exchange trips than Israel

Newest pseudo-academic anti-Israel buzzword: "Spacio-cide"

Posted: 19 Feb 2013 07:10 PM PST

If you need an example of how anti-Israel academics use the veneer of scholarship to target Israel, here's a good one by Sari Hanafi at the American University of Beirut:

This article argues that the Israeli colonial project is 'spacio-cidal' (as opposed to genocidal) in that it targets land for the purpose of rendering inevitable the 'voluntary' transfer of the Palestinian population primarily by targeting the space upon which the Palestinian people live. The spacio-cide is a deliberate ideology with unified rational, albeit dynamic process because it is in constant interaction with the emerging context and the actions of the Palestinian resistance. By describing and questioning different aspects of the military-judicial-civil apparatuses, this article examines how the realization of the spacio-cidal project becomes possible through a regime that deploys three principles, namely: the principle of colonization, the principle of separation, and the state of exception that mediates between these two seemingly contradictory principles.

In summary, Israel is evil, and therefore we must find a way to define everything it does as inherently evil and then explain it afterwards. The author has to admit that Israel isn't engaging in genocide - even academics can only stretch the truth so much - so he has to come up with a new, similarly-evil sounding construct.

But there is one simple way to prove that there is nothing academic about this paper, even without reading it. A real academic would choose an appropriate Latin root word to coin a new word. In this case, -cide means "killer" or "act of killing."

Can space be killed? Is Israel killing anyone even if it was wantonly confiscating land from Arabs?

By coining the word spacio-cide, Hanafi proves that he just wants to create anti-Israel propaganda by evoking the idea of Israel being a murderous regime.

The irony of course is that Palestinian Arabs living in Lebanon suffer from the inability to build anything outside of their hugely crowded camps that they are forced to live in, and now tens of thousands of Syrian Palestinians are being forced into those same camps rather than with the other Syrian refugees. But an Arab academic criticizing an Arab country is unlikely to advance very far in his career. Creating a ridiculous anti-Israel word (much like "pinkwashing" or "homonationalism") is apparently the newest trend among pseudo-academics.

(h/t Omri)

Crazy busy in Israel

Posted: 19 Feb 2013 12:00 PM PST

Not having time to blog is driving me nuts, but I have been simply too busy.

Today I visited the Negev to see first-hand the situation with the Bedouin and the land issue there. It is a very complicated story but I hope to make a video about that as soon as I can.

I have other videos to make beforehand, though. I met with CAMERA and interviewed one of their heads. I was also was interviewed by a new Israeli online magazine, Mida (I also interviewed them.)

I also visited Save a Child's Heart, an Israeli organization that helps children with heart problems worldwide. They get any patients from Africa and Arab countries, and work with whoever they can to improve local treatments. I videoed that visit as well.

Tonight (probably by the time this is posted) I am speaking to a group of Israelis about the blog and my thoughts on how Israel can win the information war. I hope to be able to record myself and put that presentation online.

I modestly think my skills as a journalist have been proven to be better than those of most paid print journalists. I hope to be able to show the same for video journalism. But since I don't have a team of editors, writers, or videographers, my final product will take little longer to get published. I hope you will find it worth it, because in the end I am doing this all for you!

Tuesday Links Part 2

Posted: 19 Feb 2013 10:00 AM PST

From Ian:

Frum Law Prof's Charming Legal Case for Israel
Kontorovich says, "international opinion is squarely against Israel, and if international law were a popularity contest, Israel would be voted off the island. But the whole point of international law is to buffer international politics, rather than serve them."

That's why, Kontorovich explains, "when one looks at the actual international rules in question, it is hard to see how they apply. Moreover, when one sees how they are applied to identical cases, it becomes clear that the rules applied to Israel are not applied anywhere else. And this means they are not rules."
When pressed to explain what exactly are the kinds of flawed legal charges aimed at Israel, he cites the usual ones of "illegal occupation," and "illegal settlements." But, he says, "when people see the text of the provisions Israel is supposed to have violated, they are shocked."

Netanyahu Stresses Dangers of Iran and Syria
Netanyahu warns of the dangers from Iran and Syria, in a speech to the Jewish Agency Board of Governors.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu warned of the dangers posed by a nuclear Iran and by Syria's chemical weapons arsenal, in a speech to the Jewish Agency Board of Governors on Monday.
In his speech Netanyahu referred several times to remarks made by Jewish Agency chairman Natan Sharansky in a speech he gave before Netanyahu.
"So in addition to a piece of paper, we need actual security on the ground. This means that when we speak about our Palestinian neighbors, we must have a credibly, thoroughly demilitarized Palestinian state. We have to have that. Otherwise, we'll have a replication of what happened in Lebanon and in Gaza. And this is not a simple task. It requires very, very stringent conditions, and it requires very tough negotiations.

Bolder Acts of Agression as Arabs Ambush Jewish Drivers
A Pnei Kedem resident tells his harrowing ordeal of being ambushed by Arabs who ran towards his car with massive stones, smashing windows

Recent acts of aggression by Arabs towards Jews in various communities in Judea and Samaria have caused alarm among many residents, fearful that acts of violence such as stone throwing are making way for bolder moves intended on inflicting even more damage.
Incidences of violence such as stones being thrown and molotov cocktails being hurled at Jewish residents are reported daily, yet one resident of Pnei Kedem told Arutz Sheva that he experienced - and has heard numerous stories of - Arabs who no longer hide behind trees and throw stones but run out towards cars with clubs and bats in their hands, smashing windows and causing severe damage and injuries.

'Unending Arab Harassment in Vineyards' of Shilo Bloc
Jewish farmers in the Shilo bloc face "unending harassment" by local Arabs who uprooted 3,000 grapevines in the vineyard of Meshek Achya.

Jewish farmers in the Shilo bloc are facing a campaign of "unending harassment" by local Arabs who uprooted 3,000 grapevines Sunday night in a field belonging to Meshek Achya.
The vandals destroyed eight dunam (two acres) of vines in the vineyards, officials said, although the true extent of the damage did not become evident until the destruction was spotted on Monday morning.

PM Netanyahu Thanks Pope Ahead of Retirement
PM Netanyahu sent a letter to outgoing Pope Benedict XVI thanking him for his work on behalf of strengthening interfaith ties.

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Monday sent a letter to outgoing Pope Benedict XVI thanking him for his work on behalf of strengthening interfaith ties, the premier's office said in a statement.
"In the name of the people of Israel, I would like to thank you for everything you did as pope for the strengthening of ties between Christians and Jews and between the Holy See and the Jewish state," he wrote, saying he wished the pontiff "long life, health and happiness."

Peres to give Obama Medal of Distinction
President will honor his American counterpart for standing with Israel 'in times of crisis'

It is doubtful US President Barack Obama will rack up many tangible policy achievements during his upcoming Middle East trip. But if worse comes to worst, he won't go home entirely empty-handed: President Shimon Peres on Monday announced that he will present his American counterpart with the Presidential Medal of Distinction during his March stay in Israel.
"It will be the first time in history that a serving president of the United States of America will receive an award of this kind from the president of the State of Israel," the President's Residence announced in a press release Monday afternoon — which makes sense, given the fact that the award was only created last year.

Playing 'Hatikvah' on a 'Desert Island'
After 71 years, British writer Julie Burchill becomes the first guest to select Israel's national anthem on high-profile BBC radio show

Last week, Burchill was featured on Britain's longest-running radio show, Desert Island Discs. Guests on the program are asked to imagine that they are castaways, and then select eight musical tracks that they would take with them for entertainment, plus a luxury item. Burchill, a passionate philo-Semite who is writing a book about her love of Israel and the Jews, included the theme song from the "Exodus" movie, a pop song about the Hebrew language by Ehud Banai, and the Israeli national anthem, Hatikvah.

Congress, Jewish Leaders Gear Up for Iron Dome Tribute
Members of Congress to unite, along with leaders of the Jewish community, to pay tribute to the success of Iron Dome.

Democratic and Republican members of Congress are set to unite on February 27, along with prominent leaders of the Jewish community and Ambassador Michael Oren, to pay tribute to the success of the Iron Dome anti-missile defense system, at a special event set to take place at the United States Senate.
The Iron Dome Tribute event, coordinated by The Friedlander Group, under the leadership of its CEO, Ezra Friedlander, is a unique opportunity for Jewish leaders to gather with members of Congress and celebrate a shared triumph, as the Iron Dome is one of the most tangible manifestations of the strong U.S.-Israel alliance.
"I believe that holding the event in Congress is a true expression of gratitude on behalf of the American Jewish community and those who value human life," said Robert Rechnitz, Chairman of the Iron Dome Tribute.

Jordan, Israel, Negotiate Over Natural Gas Deal

Jordan and Israel are negotiating a gas deal, according to officials from the Jordanian government sources. Both countries have in the past faced numerous difficulties with unreliable supplies from Egypt.
Jordan's Arab Potash Company (APC), one of the world's largest potash producers, "is in contact with its Israeli counterpart through the American oil and gas firm Noble Energy to examine the possibility of importing gas," Jordan's Minister of Energy said in a statement, AFP reported Monday.
"The gas available in the Dead Sea area is a clean and inexpensive source of fuel and the company seeks to use it for its factories on the Dead Sea. But no agreement has been reached so far," the minister said.

Israeli cookbook a star in Apple's new ad campaign
Look and Cook, an app featuring recipes by Israeli chef Meir Adoni, is one reason you should buy an iPad, says Apple

It's an achievement that belongs to an Israeli app, called Look and Cook, which features the recipes of Israeli gourmet chef Meir Adoni. Screenshots from the app have been plastered on billboards on highways, airports, malls, and city centers all across the US, along with the title "Mind Watering," a phrase that evokes the term "mouth watering" as something the taste buds anticipate and desire.

Intel Doubles Israel Exports, Hopes to Manufacture Next Generation of Chips in the Country

Intel announced Sunday at an annual press conference that its exports from Israel rose to $4.6 billion last year. The total amount invested in the country in the last decade is $10.5 billion.
Intel Israel president Mooly Eden said the company accounted for 20 percent of Israel's high-tech exports last year and 10 percent of its industrial exports, excluding diamonds. Intel Israel was responsible for a third of Israel's exports to China. "Were it not for Intel's improved performance last year, Israel's high-tech exports would have fallen by 10 percent," he said at the company's annual press conference.

What's missing from CNN-International's weather cities?

Posted: 19 Feb 2013 08:00 AM PST

I was just watching CNN International and they have a brief worldwide city weather forecast. Naturally I wanted to see tomorrow's weather for Jerusalem.

No Jerusalem.

OK, I figured: I guess they choose Tel Aviv to represent Israel.

No Tel Aviv.

This seems to have been going on for years, as I found this 2008 video from CNN-I that shows the same cities as it shows now.

Tehran rates - presumably for the many Germans who travel there to skirt the international sanctions against Iran - but Israel doesn't quite make the cut.

Tuesday Links Part 1

Posted: 19 Feb 2013 06:00 AM PST

From Ian:

Daniel Pipes: Futile Israeli Efforts to Win Ankara Back

The Government of Israel, we learned yesterday from a Turkish source, has delivered Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) equipment by ELTA, a subsidiary of Israel Aerospace Industries that gives military aircraft protection from electronic attacks. Not only will the AWACS planes, in the wording of the Today's Zaman article, "greatly increase [the Turkish air force's] dominance over Turkey's own airspace" but they will also be useful to it in the Syrian civil war and vis-à-vis "tensions with Israel and Greek Cyprus over the issue of gas drilling."

The collapse of Al-Jazeera's credibility

According to an article that appeared in the German magazine Der Spiegel, many leading journalists and TV anchors have started to leave the channel in recent months. According to one of those that has recently left, the German based Aktham Sulimen, "Before the beginning of the Arab Spring, we were a voice for change...a platform for critics and political activists throughout the region. Now, Al-Jazeera has become a propaganda broadcaster."
According to another Beirut based correspondent, "Al-Jazeera takes a clear position in every country from which it reports – not based on journalistic priorities, but rather on the interests of the Foreign Ministry of Qatar......In order to maintain my integrity as a reporter, I had to quit."

Thomas Donilon national security adviser to President Obama: Hezbollah Unmasked

The United States applauds those countries that have long recognized Hezbollah's nefarious nature and that have already condemned the group for the attack in Burgas. Europe must now act collectively and respond resolutely to this attack within its borders by adding Hezbollah to the European Union's terrorist list. That is the next step toward ensuring that Burgas is the last successful Hezbollah operation on European soil.

Bulgarian FM to EU colleagues: Sanction Hezbollah
Presenting evidence from Burgas bombing probe in Brussels, Nikolay Mladenov urges Europe to finally blacklist the Shiite group as a terror organization

A senior Bulgarian official on Monday called on the European Union to adopt harsher measures against Hezbollah in light of his country's finding that the Lebanese Shiite group was responsible for a terror attack that killed five Israelis and a local bus driver in the coastal town of Burgas last summer.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a meeting of the EU's foreign ministers in Brussels, Bulgarian Foreign Minister Nikolay Mladenov implicitly but unmistakably urged the union to designate Hezbollah a terrorist group.
Asked whether the EU should blacklist Hezbollah, he responded: "Given the fact that we've already made quite firm statements about where we believe the responsibility for that attack lies, I think the answer is quite obvious."

BBC's Jim Muir whitewashes Hizballah violations of 1701

By presenting a false picture of Hizballah's violations of UN SC resolution 1701, Muir not only fails to fulfil his organisation's stated aim of informing BBC audiences about the wider world and compromises the BBC's obligation to accuracy, but he is also clearly giving oxygen to a specific political agenda which some of his mysterious "Western diplomat" sources (which, interestingly, apparently cannot be named, thereby denying the reader the ability to judge those opinions in context) seem very keen to promote. In doing that, Muir also severely compromises the BBC's reputation as an 'independent' broadcaster.

IDF BLOG: Hezbollah Under Nasrallah's Rule: 21 Years of Terror

21 years ago, Hassan Nasrallah became the leader of Hezbollah. Under his leadership, Hezbollah has committed a stream of terror attacks on both Israeli and international soil and has killed numerous innocent civilians.
Here is our roundup of 21 years of Hezbollah activity under Nasrallah:

IDF said set to build field hospital on Syrian border
After 7 wounded Syrians allowed in on Saturday, military is preparing for onrush of refugees, and wants to treat the injured on Golan Heights frontier rather than inside Israel

According to the plan, reported by Channel 10 on Monday night, the makeshift hospital will be set up close to the border in the central Golan Heights or near the Quneitra border crossing with Syria. The logic behind the move, the report said, was for Israel to be prepared to meet further possible medical pleas from additional Syrian refugees without having to take them for treatment inside Israeli territory.
The IDF reportedly expects that after Saturday's incident, Syrian refugees will flock to Israel for sanctuary from the bloody civil war that has wracked Syria for two years and claimed tens of thousands of lives.

UN war crimes list doesn't spare Syrian leadership
Gov't forces, rebels committing war crimes, including killings, torture, UN investigators say, recommending ICC prosecution.

Rebel forces fighting to topple Assad in the protracted and increasingly sectarian conflict have committed war crimes including murder, torture, hostage-taking and using children under age 15 in hostilities, the UN report said.
"They continue to endanger the civilian population by positioning military objectives inside civilian areas," it said, with rebel snipers causing "considerable civilian casualties".

Islamists 'Islamicize' Egyptian Singer With Female Caftan
Radical Islamists tried to 'islamicize' one of Egypt's best-loved cultural icons

Among the latest victims of the new Islamist atmosphere in Egypt is the "first lady of Arabic song," Umm Kulthum, who is regarded as the greatest female Arabic singer of the 20th century, or perhaps ever. She had hundreds of hits and was responsible for integrating Western and Arabic singing and musical styles. It was around her style of singing that the large orchestras today identified with Arabic music, sometimes consisting of many dozens of musicians, were developed. She was also a pioneer in Arabic film, starring in dozens of movies in which she sang love songs. Nearly 30 years after her death in 1975, her records still sell in the millions annually.

While a ban is unlikely, Islamists have done what they apparently believe to be the next best thing – dressing Umm Kulthum in full female Arabic caftan, a "nikab." The covering was placed on a statue of Umm Kulthum, in the Egyptian town of Mansoura. The incident apparently occurred over the weekend. Muslim Brotherhood supporters distributed photos over the Internet.

Amazon Fires 'Neo-Nazi-Linked' German Security Firm

The giant Internet retailer Amazon has fired its German security firm, HESS, following reports that security staff with alleged neo-Nazi ties treated temporary workers unfairly and with contempt.
The allegations surrounding the Hensel European Security Service (HESS) came to the surface in a documentary expose broadcast last week on the ARD German television channel.
The station filmed secret footage which reportedly showed the staff intimidating foreign workers. Living quarters of temporary staff members were photographed being regularly searched without warning, and the workers underwent body searches after breakfast to ensure they had not stolen rolls from the table.

Author accused of anti-Semitism nominated for Nobel
Critics claim Romanian writer Paul Goma has practiced Holocaust denial

JTA — A writer's association in Moldova reportedly has nominated Paul Goma, a Romanian author accused of writing anti-Semitic texts, for the Nobel Prize in Literature.
"Paul Goma's claims to fame is only by denying the Holocaust, falsifying historical facts and anti-Semitic attacks," Iosif Belous, vice president of the East European Association of Former Prisoners of Ghettos and Concentration Camps, is quoted as saying on Enews.md, a news site from Moldova.

Arabs pay for far more congressional cultural exchange trips than Israel

Posted: 19 Feb 2013 03:00 AM PST

From the Washington Post:

U.S. lawmakers and their senior staff took more than 800 cultural exchange trips courtesy of foreign governments in the years from 2006 to 2011. The trips benefit from a broad exemption from ethics rules and most Capitol Hill employees never need to disclose their participation. This list shows trips listed on 130,000 pages of personal financial forms collected by Legistorm.com.

The list details everyone who went on every trip, but here is a detail of the map that accompanied the article of interest here: